You Will Find Your Courage
by McFly
Summary: Pippin becomes sick as the four hobbits and Strider travel to Rivendell. . Please R and R
1. Only a Memory

Authors note in this first chapter when the appears it's Pippin thinking back, everything wihtout is what's going on presently  
  
Ch1. Only A Memory.  
  
"Pippin, Pip" Pippin faintly heard his name being called. Merry kneeling beside him, was nudging the young hobbit. Merry repeated himself almost screaming. To Pippin it sounded as though they were a million miles apart. ~What happened~ he wondered, the tween new mostly what was going on, but he was unable to open his eyes to see, he felt warm then freezing, and his chest hurt. The last thing he had remembered was.  
  
The four hobbits and Strider had been walking for a near four hours, when they decided it was time for rest. "Let us make camp here" Strider said turning to them Merry and Pippin who were basically sleepwalking unrolled their beds and literally collapsed onto them. Sam and Frodo too unrolled theirs. The sun quickly sank beneath the trees.  
  
"I will keep watch tonight" Strider told Frodo and Sam who were still awake an hour or two later.  
  
"You most certainly will not," Frodo protested, "Sam and I will take turns. I will go first."  
  
~/~/~/~  
  
Frodo's watch had been over and he woke Sam up, so he could take his turn. Groggily he sat up as Frodo snugged himself into his bedroll.  
  
"G'night Mr. Frodo" Sam said quietly  
  
"Night Sam" Frodo then closed his eyes  
  
~/~/~/~  
  
Pippin started to become restless. He shook the covers off of him. Half asleep, and half awake he walked off nearly tripping over Merry. The Took moved so quietly after that near spill, that Sam couldn't tell that he had left.  
  
~/~/~/~  
  
The young hobbit had been walking quite sometime, when he spotted a small stream. Thirsty he ran over to it, cupped his hands and dipped them into the stream. He took a few drinks and splashed his face with the cool water. "Where am I" he asked fully awake now and realizing he was no longer with the others. He turned the direction he had come from and headed back to camp.  
  
~/~/~/~  
  
When he got back to the camp, he started to feel a little tired. This time he wasn't paying attention, his eyelids started to grow heavy, and he tripped over Merry. Pippin fell face first, then rolled over. His eyes were closed, and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't open them.  
  
~/~/~/~  
  
Merry stirred some, but just turned over. This happened a few more times. He was finally awaken by a strange noise. Sitting up he saw his younger cousin laying next to him, wheezing and shaking. "Pippin, Pip" he whispered nudging him.  
  
Knowing something was terribly wrong, Merry ran over to where the Ranger was. "Strider, Strider" he shook him fiercely.  
  
"What is it?" he asked looking at Merry's panicked face  
  
"It's Pip, he's..." Merry stopped and grabbed Strider's arm, leading him to where Pippin was.  
  
Pippin's wheezing had grown louder and woken Frodo and Sam, who had nodded off.  
  
"What's wrong with him?" Frodo asked looking at his cousin's pale face.  
  
Strider looked up at him, "He must've drinken the water. Sam go get the blanket from my bedroll."  
  
~/~/~/~  
  
Sam quickly ran off and in a few seconds returned holding a soft blanket. "Here you are Mr. Strider" he handed it to him  
  
Strider put his hand to Pippin's cheek, it was ice cold. He wrapped the blanket around him, and picked the wheezing, shivering bundle up, Strider then ran over to where Bill was. He set the small hobbit on top of him. 


	2. A Difficult Decision

Morning started to come as Strider turned to Merry, "We must get him to Rivendell, he is too weak to ride on his own. You must ride with him" he lifted Merry on top of Bill, behind Pippin and handed him the reigns. "It's seven days, til Rivendell" he continued,"I just hope he can make it"he muttered under his breath. With that they were off, Strider in front, Frodo and Sam a few feet behind, and finally Mer, and Pip on Bill. ~/~/~/~ They had been walking in silence for an hour or so. Finally Sam asked the question that had been weighing on his mind. "What's wrong with him" he asked looking at the young hobbit.  
  
Strider looked down at him and Frodo, as they continued to walk, 'Do you remember how I told you not to drink the water, unless brought to me first"  
  
Sam nodded  
  
"It was for this reason. See Master Gamgee, there is different types of water. Sacred, some that makes you grow taller, but this water unless heated first is like poison. Most that have taken even a sip of it have died."  
  
These words pierced Frodo's heart as he turned and looked at his two cousins. One severly ill, the other filled with worry and signs of much needed sleep etched on his face. ~/~/~/~ "Strider" MErry yelled nervously The Ranger turned around to see Merry off of Bill and trying to pull Pippin off. "HE's not breathing" Seeing that the hobbit needed help, Strider picked up Pippin and sat him on the ground next to Merry. Pippin wasn't breathing, but he was shaking more fiercely than before. Frodo and Sam stood next to MErry who was now trying to hold back tears.  
  
"The poison's moving quicker than it's supposed too." Strider removed the blankets from around the barely alive hobbit. He laid him down on the ground, "Hold him down"  
  
Frodo and Sam held him down by the arms, Merry sat down and rested Pip's head in his lap. Strider pulled out a small knife  
  
"What are you doing" Frodo asked, slightly struggling to keep PIppin still  
  
Strider looked at him, "The poison is moving too fast, we must try and treat it as best as we can now" 


End file.
